1. Delete digital data in your communication devices – mobile phone, tablet and computer. This includes deleting the pictures that you took but never want to see, chat history, junk mails, documents and video clips.
Result: You can help relieve global warming as these digital data have been accumulated at data centers which spread out enormous heat to the world. In addition, this will make your devices work faster when they do not store huge volume of data. Moreover, you will feel lightened.
2. Make your photo album: Choose the photos that you have taken from mobie phone and copy the picture files, then print them out and make photo album.
Result: You can keep your photos in more accessible method, tidy and beautiful. No need to scroll the screen back and forth when you want to see them.
3. Tidy your house: It’s time to reorganize your life through the rearrangement in your house. When you rearrange your closet, books and collective items, you can decide what to keep and what to throw away.
Result: Your mind will be lightened after you throw many useless items away. You will gain more space and feel that’s life is more easier when you have discipline.
4. Practice meditation: You can choose whichever method of practice that you like. The practice in Buddhism – Anapanasati is the practice that focus on mindfulness on breathing which helps calm the mind. The practitioner will focus on his/her breath just like being a door guard without letting his/her mind wander or thinking of anything. The practice may start from 15 minutes and increase to 1 hour, in the morning and evening time.
How to begin, learn from Vipassana Meditation Master Acharavadee Wongsakon.
https://youtu.be/C5VMOG6XW48
Result: Your mind will become more peaceful and powerful. You will have sharper thinking, good memory, feel less depressed, become optimistic, and learn faster. This will help you work and learn more efficiently. With this powerful mind, you can make more precise decisions. Moreover, practicing meditation results in great merit because when the mind is in concentration, there is no harmful thinking to anyone, even the practitioner himself.
5. Chant the prayers: This is the way to connect with the good force. Thus, the chanter will receive meritorious power to support his life. Chanting is also considered as one kind of meditation. A good chanting will need a focus mind toward the words of the chants, the mind must not wander.
Result: It helps relieve stress. Therefore, the mind will be brighter, energetic and hopeful. The chanter will also be protected by the good force.
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6. Practice mindfulness: That is to train your mind to be aware of what you do. Do things slowly and in good order. Focus on what you do and don’t do many things at a time such as don’t watch TV while you are eating.
Result: You will be mindful. Your mind will not adhere to bad thoughts as mindfulness will get rid of that thought before it develops to bad deed. You will feel you have power to control your life not let life run down in stream of madness.
7. Study history: Normally, studying history takes time and efforts as most history books are quite bulky and heavy. Therefore, it’s now a good time to study history.
Result: You will have a profound knowledge in history. You can learn the lesson from the pass.
8. Study languages: Now that you have more time, you can arrange 1 hour a day, 3 days a week to study new language.
Result: It’s fun and enjoyable to learn new languages that you’re interested . This will give you an advantage, you will also gain a new skill and become more interesting.
9. Learn musical instrument online: There are lots of tutorial video on YouTube. It’s a time to cath up your dream to be a musician or what ever it is you want to master.
Result: You wil get relaxed and improve your skill and this will keep you engage with something that could entertain yourself.
10. Call your old friends : In the time of isolation, could be a chance to chat or re-connect with longtime old friend
Results: You would learn new things, gain a new perspective in life.
11. Read: Most people nowadays read less than 4 lines or even only the headlines. This is a chance to spend time reading more. Reading is a way to gain knowledge. Find some inspiring book to learn something new.
Result: Acquiring food for brain, making us happy and being inspired.
12. Write: Spend your free time writing your life story or something you want to share. Typing on a computer is fine, but handwriting is much better because it brings back the mind to the natural way. As we are living in the digital age, we almost forget our own handwriting. Especially in this time and pandemic, we are in a period of human history. We can say that in 150 years this could only happen once. Writing or journaling is a way to record history from our own perspective.
Result: Handwriting is a way to convey your feelings from the mind into a paper. It is an enjoyable way which you can express something in your mind through writing. Probably you will find a storytelling skill to share good story to others. And you may alos find out a talent in expressing words and stories towards readers. As time passes, this journaling may be valuable.
13. Find your dream
As the pace of life is too fast in the digital world, we don’t even have time and opportunity to ponder what we really want to do in life. More than that, social media may steal your dream or discourage you. So now you have time to think of your dream, and it’s probably a chance to make a solid plan to achieve it.
14. Cook or Create new menu: The kitchen is now your personal laboratory. Pretend that you are a world-renowned chef. Take this chance to seek new menu. It’s fine whether the taste is good or not. You just try it out and practice again and again. Or you can learn to be a barista to make a cup of great coffee.
Result: You may have a skill for your future career. Remember some restaurant is popular for its only one excellent menu.
15. Repair the home: For the things you always hire a handyman to do, it’s time to do it yourself such as painting, fixing broken stuff, or decorating your home.
Result: Save money. Make you home more livable.
16. Plant trees or vegetables
Result: You will get a shady area and be able to eat vegetables/fruits from your own garden. Planting can also help reduce global warming.
17. Train your pet: If you have a pet, you can spend some time training them to have discipline or a special skill, without abusing them.
18. Sleep : Living in a fast-paced life with a lot of thing to do, some people have hardly time to get a full sleep. Taking time to repay your sleep debt is not laziness but a way to recover your health.
Result: It can repair your body and you will be healthier.
19. Watch movies: Choose some interesting movies, not the ones that is overly sad or dramatic. (So that you are not too emotionally sucked in to the stories.)
20. Take care of your health, work out, maybe have an at-home spa day
Create art and crafts. Improve your skill.
From No.18-20, they can reduce stress and are good for physical health and the mind.
Social distancing is a chance to do things that you don’t have time to do or always postpone by making excuses. It’s a time to get to know yourself, practice your skills and pave the way to achieve your dream.